Healing in Season: A Spring Equinox Retreat for Women in Transition
As I walked through Fort Whyte Alive after the Spring Equinox Polaris Wellness Retreat, its grounding effects flooded through me. I had spent the afternoon with Dr. Kate, Dr. Jacquie, and a group of inspiring women, all of us in our own versions of transition like the nature around us. I had been searching for a mindfulness retreat in Manitoba—something affordable, accessible, and truly supportive of my mental health. In Polaris Wellness Retreats, I had found exactly that.
A Season of Uncertainty
A few hours earlier, my walk to the retreat had mirrored the uncertainty I was feeling in my own life as I navigate a career transition. I wasn’t sure if I was going the right way.
After stepping away from my traditional 9-5 job nearly one year ago, the exhaustion hit me like a wave. I hadn’t realized just how much I’d been carrying until I finally let myself rest. I’d made the difficult decision to take a break, but now I was standing at the edge of something new, unsure of what shape my future work would take or how to begin again.
My progress was feeling obscured, like the fresh snow we had gotten the night before, blanketing the promise of Spring beneath its chilliness. As soon as I arrived at the bright and cozy space that Dr. Kate and Dr. Jacquie created though, my thaw began.
A Warm Welcome at Polaris Wellness Retreats
I walked in to the inviting smells of coffee and a fire. I instantly exhaled. I knew this retreat would be different. Led by psychologists Dr. Kate and Dr. Jacquie, this retreat stood out to me for its evidence-based workshops designed to support women in transitions of all kinds, like career shifts, retirements, breakups, loss, pregnancy or postpartum, and others. It was exactly what I needed and hadn’t been able to find: psychological expertise combined with supportive workshops and community, targeted to that messy space of transitions and the unique experiences of women.
Dr. Kate and Dr. Jacquie greeted me with warm smiles and an offer of a big slice of bannock topped with sweet strawberry jam. I eagerly filled my plate and settled into my seat, ready for what I would learn from these women and feeling aligned with the natural rhythm of Springtime.
Rooted in Spring: Visualization and Reflection
Dr. Jacquie began by leading us through a powerful visualization that grounded us in the beginning of Spring in a Prairie meadow. As we held seeds from our gift baskets – forget-me-nots for me - an openness flowed through me at Dr. Jacquie’s words. We reflected on what we were letting go, embracing, and building next.
An ease settled into me and the women in attendance as we wrote words we wanted to cultivate and placed some of them in a group wellness garden. We snapped photos of it, so we could continue to be inspired to sprout when we left later that afternoon.
Unpacking the Stories We Carry
Dr. Kate then guided our momentum to break down societal narratives and consider how they have impacted our mental health and wellbeing. Ideas like “women already know how to be perfect parents” or “you must get married and have kids to be happy” reduce us to everything we’re not, instead of recognizing who we are.
We shared, we cried, and we supported each other. I felt something soften in me as I realized how many of us were quietly struggling with the same internalized expectations. I’ve carried around shame for years for not wanting to get married or have kids. It’s taken time and tenderness to push against the narrative of marriage and kids being the only path to happiness and it’s something I still work on. Hearing others reflect on similar pressures reminded me that we’re all contending with stories that pigeon-hole us. And we can break them down together.
We talked about how we can resist them and create our own narratives instead. We each identified a small, practical way to do that, like talking to a friend, changing the way we speak to ourselves, or practicing a new affirmation. It left us with not only transformative thoughts, but real actions we could take.
I’ve been working with a new affirmation that I say to myself while making coffee and taking three deep breaths: I am paving my own path to happiness. It reminds me that all paths in womanhood are valid and worth celebrating. This small daily act of care is helping rewire my brain to my new truth.
Emerging into a New Season
After some more bannock and tea, we said our goodbyes, took some photos, and reemerged into the fresh air. As I walked away from this beautiful wellness retreat for women, the sun was shining its warmth down. My footsteps felt surer, my skin felt warmer, and the snow was melting.
The transition to Spring can seem elusive, but growth is happening even if we can’t see it yet. Both in the ground and within ourselves.
Why Polaris is Different
Polaris Wellness Retreats helped to nurture my mental health and support me as I move forward in my career transition and break down harmful narratives. It was just the right blend of healing through psychology, community, and nature.
Polaris reminded me that there’s no single roadmap to fulfillment. I’m still figuring it out, but I’m doing it on my own terms now. I drove home with a new confidence and an appreciation for how far I’ve already come.
I’m excited to plant my seeds and watch as the next phase of my transition blooms. Just like the earth in Spring, I’m learning that even quiet growth can be powerful.
The next Polaris Wellness Retreat takes place at the next seasonal transition, the Summer Solstice. Stay tuned to the Join Us page and be sure to check in on social media for updates on when registration opens.
